Heritage Events in January 2011

We have a variety of heritage events to offer you during the rest of January:

The date of the next project Focus Group meeting is 18^th Jan at 7pm Wayland House.

There will also be four Heritage all day drop-ins at Wayland House, High St., Watton on Tue 18^th Jan, Mon 24^th Jan and Wed 26^th Jan all from 10am – 3.30pm, and the morning of Fri 21^st Jan from 10-12.30. Please pop-in for help with research or to talk over any heritage projects you are working on etc.

There is a writing/editing workshop, for those producing text and images for the final project publications, on 26^th Jan at 7pm – 9pm at Wayland House. It is important that those involved come if they can, so that we can all get an over view of what everyone is doing, and feel comfortable that we are all happily on the same track. It will be a chance to swop ideas and get practical advice.

Don't miss your chance to come to the ‘Wayland Tales’ storytelling evening event at the Chequers Inn Thompson on 27^th Jan you need to book now as there are only 7 places left. 

Today is Plough Monday - Molly Dancing Tradition at Hockham Green Tonight 7pm

Today is Plough Monday,  the first Monday after Epiphany (The 12 days of Christmas). In the past on Plough Sunday it was common for the vicar to bless the plough...the men who will use it...and the work it would accomplish in the coming year. Farmers resumed their work on the following Plough Monday. It was a day when ploughmen traditionally marked the end of the Christmas period for the agricultural communities. The first records of it date from the 1300s.  Before the reformation there are records of the burning of plough lights, maintained in churches by guilds of dancers, in several Norfolk  churches. There is also the Norfolk 'Plough Pudding' which is a boiled suet pudding, containing meat and onions which was traditionally eaten on the day.

As agricultural work was scarce in the winter, farm labourers disguised themselves, by blacking their faces with soot, to get money by dragging a decorated plough around the the village. As they dragged the plough they would shout out "Penny for the ploughboys!". In east Anglia molly dancers often accompanied the plough, with the farm labourers to dance and entertain for money, they also blackened their faces with soot to disguise themselves so they could not be recognised by their future employers. This tradition is still kept alive in Wayland at Great Hockham, tonight it starts from the village green at 7pm, with the blessing of the plough and  molly dancing by the Hockham Clodhoppers. All the money collected on the night goes to charity.

You can find more information on Plough Monday on the following links:
http://www.ploughmonday.co.uk/
http://freespace.virgin.net/peter.millington1/PloughMonday/Origins.htm
http://greathockham.org/MollyDancers.aspx 

Book now for 'Wayland Tales' - Storytelling Event - 27th Jan, Chequers Inn, Thompson

Come and join us for a winter evening of curious 'Wayland Tales',  listern to traditional local tales of all kinds that have been passed down the generations, stories of ghosts, legends, crime, funny events and tragedy. The tales will be told by members of the project's workshops and the well known storyteller and researcher of Norfolk Folklore - Theo Fanthorpe.

Places are free but limited, you will need to book a ticket, priority will be given to those who have been researching local tales and/or taking part in the workshops. Please book your ticket from:  sue@wayland.org.uk,  tel; 01953 880216 or pop-in to Wayland House and speak to the Heritage Officer, Sue White.

The tales will be recorded at the event to form the base for a DVD that will be bound into an illustrated book of the 'Wayland Tales'. If you have any local tales that you would like to contribute to the book, please get in touch with us.